Questions and Comments
"Hello, I was wondering if the newsletter is available in Spanish? I’m the Health Coordinator for our school district. When I sent the newsletter to the principals and asked them to consider using some of the information to send to parents, they replied that their policy states that they won’t send information unless it’s available in English and Spanish. It’s such good “stuff,” that I hate to keep it from getting out there. Either way, thanks for such great information."
– Katy F., Colorado
We only print an English language version of the newsletter, but we have a translation feature on the Web site. Readers can select from eight languages (Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, and Chinese) using the Babel Fish translation option. Just go to the Web site and look for the icon near the bottom of the page. Choose the flag representing
the language you want and the entire
site, including current articles and links,
is translated to that language. Please note
that you’ll need to have certain characters
installed on your computer for some of the
languages to display properly.
"I never realized how much the flu pandemic [sic] might affect my classroom. Thank you very much for the very helpful information."
– Athena H., Colorado
"The newsletter about pandemic flu had a lot of valuable advice, but you didn’t mention the recommendations about stocking food and water at home. If people are unable to work and being advised to stay home, it may be really difficult to find enough supplies at the grocery store—if it’s even open. I remind everyone that they need to be prepared at home as well as at school or other places of employment. Some people suggest having enough food and water for two or three weeks for your family. I thought this might be valuable to your readers."
—Bill W., Georgia
"With childhood obesity being such a
disturbing (and, unfortunately, valid)
concern, I’m thankful to work for a school
that places a great deal of emphasis on
health and physical fitness. I realize that
schools often cut back on P.E. classes and
recess in an effort to boost test scores, but
I’d be interested to learn if there’s a correlation
between childhood obesity and
academic performance."
– Michelle M., Arkansas
The short answer is yes, obesity and
academic performance are connected.
The relationship is complex though, and
researchers are increasingly looking at the
connection between nutrition and lifestyle
and their impact on academic performance.
Studies find that fit children who eat
regular, nutritious meals experience
greater academic success and have fewer
behavioral and health problems that can
interfere with learning.
As students get older, the psychological
impact of being overweight (or underweight)
also has bearing on their academic
performance. When teens are teased about
their weight, it can be diffi cult for them to
concentrate and feel good about school.
Some studies fi nd that obese children miss
more school than their average-weight
schoolmates and this clearly has an impact
on their academic performance. Additional
studies fi nd that more obese children think
of themselves as poor students compared
to students of average weight.
Your school may be interested in additional
funding for physical fitness programs.
ED sponsors the Carol M. White Physical
Education Program to adinster grants
for schools to meet physical education
standards. Visit http://www.ed.gov/
programs/whitephysed/index.html for
more information about these grants.
Encouraging healthy eating habits and
supporting physical activity on a daily basis
are important factors for every student.
We’re happy to hear your school is active
in promoting health as a big part of the
learning environment.
"I enjoyed reading the recent article on
protective factors (Vol. 14, No.2). Working
on skills that can help kids make
better choices and feel connected to school
is important to me and in my classroom.
Thanks for a timely topic."
– Liz S., Texas
"I have appreciated the newsletter and its format. Also appreciate that I can access it [online] when I need it and not have additional paper sitting around."
—Anonymous Web comment
"It would be helpful to see the newsletter make a section specifically for issues in remote and rural areas as well as ethnic information. Love the Web sites you suggest."
—Anonymous Web comment
"I enjoy the articles because they are short, relevant and easy to read quickly."
—Anonymous Web comment
"I would like to see more information
included that shows that school nurses
(RNs) are key players in the educational
success of students. During my 30 years
as a school nurse, I [have seen how] we
are making a difference in the lives and
education of children from our “holistic”
approach (nursing, education, community
health, research, etc). As a nurse, I
have been able to impact the health and
safety of children by fi nding resources
and making appropriate referrals to
reduce or remediate many health-related
barriers to their education. Many times
I have worked with teachers to help
them understand a child’s disabilities or
encourage use of alternatives that would
allow the child to feel successful; often, for
the fi rst time in the child’s life."
—Shirley R., Arizona
Health resources are vital to schools. We
appreciate the nurse professionals who
work in schools to help keep our students
safe and healthy and strive to highlight
meaningful information for all school staff.
"I’m program coordinator for a schoolbased
mentoring program that serves
fi ve school districts in Ohio. We match
adult volunteers with students to work on
problem-solving skills and goal building.
The problem is that we make progress
only to return the child home to an environment
that takes us back fi ve steps. Is
there a support program for parents that
encourages them to learn about parenting
styles?" —Cathy D., Ohio
Commitment to school is a protective factor for young people, as is having a supportive relationship with a caring adult—even if it’s not a parent. So your program is adding a buffering effect for these students who may have poor supervision or family conflict. However, adding a parental component would welcome more protection for these students. There are several programs to help parents establish clear expectations, manage conflict, and communicate more effectively. These include Guiding Good Choices, Incredible Years, and the Strengthening Families Program. Programs are developed for various age groups and are delivered in group settings over a course of several sessions.
Guiding Good Choices - The parent segment has guidelines for interactive sessions (includes videos, family activities, and exercises) that are designed for 10 sessions of 1 hour, or five 2-hour sessions. Topics include managing family conflict and strengthening family bonds. You can find materials (program guide, workshop items, family workbooks) online at www.channing-bete.com.
Incredible Years - The program has a parenting group component that suggests weekly sessions of 2 hours. It includes group support and parenting skills training. It's online at www.incredibleyears.com.
Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 - Small groups are designed for youth to meet together and parents meet separately and then everyone comes together for a second hour to engage in discussion, practice parent skills, build communication abilities, and improve problem solving. Materials and more information are available at www.extension.iastate.edu/sfp.
Providing transportation, food, and childcare can help encourage parent participation.
You may already be aware of the Mental Health Association of Southwest Ohio, but I found they have a clearinghouse of support groups and you might find helpful information from one or more of the parent groups listed there. It's online at www.mentalhealthassn.org and there's a link to "Support Group Clearinghouse" on the home page.
Send questions, comments, or suggestions
to The Challenge via e-mail at informationcnl@thechallenge.org.
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